Various attempts have been to improve push brooms, wherein a bristle block is provided with a plurality of bristles extending therefrom, and wherein a handle rod is provided at an angular relationship with relation to the bristle block by means of an insertable threaded stem portion.
A typical prior art push broom is shown in drawing FIG. 1, labeled "Prior Art" herein. The rod is threadably screwed into a corresponding threaded recess, and placed at an angle, within the bristle block portion.
The disadvantages of these prior art push brooms are that after time and use, the handle rods loosen and wear out, so that the handle rod can never be completely tightened. After repeated use, the user is compelled to constantly re-tighten the handle rod, often as frequently as one tightening time for each sweep of the broom, when the rod is especially loose.
Another disadvantage of prior art push brooms is that because of the nature of the contact of the bristles during a sweep, the downwardly extending bristles bend under each other in arcuate fashion, thereby causing the bottom lower portion of the bristles to rotate about themselves, so that the upper portion of the bristles rotate along an arc, causing the bristle head, and therefore the broom handle to rotate upwardly outwardly away from the user.
This is especially a problem where the bristles stick to sticky surface, such as a hot roof. This nature of the bristles to move is uncomfortable for a broom user, and the rotation of the bristles causes the broom to become temporarily stuck or to pull upward against the arms of the user in an unnatural uncomfortable fashion.
Various attempts have been made to stabilize the handle above the bristle block by providing a sleeve attached by extension members or by other means.
Among these prior patents include U.S. Pat. No. 454,757 of Newbaker, dated Jun. 23, 1891, which describes a broom which has an "L " shaped brace, when viewed from the side, with a flat bottom portion. A connecting fastener connects the "L " shaped brace with the handle. When viewed from the front, the "L " shaped brace has an arcuate rounded shape, except for the fact that the arch is much higher than it is wide. Therefore it only attaches to the bristle block in a center portion thereof.
While the broom in U.S. Pat. No. 4,293,972 of Pomares is of a different structure, it does show a brace which is connected by wing nuts to a broom head.
Also, Malish Patent no. 4,722,634 shows a handle being inserted in a sleeve, attached to the broom head.
While the broom in U.S. Patent 4,785,489 of Von Doehren has a flexible spring to make the broom handle resilient, a triangular brace is attached by bolts to a broom head block.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,763,378 of Drumm shows a modified broom head wherein a handle is attached by a brace with a wing nut. The same is true for U.S. Pat. No. 5,094,564 of Tedrick and U.S. Pat. No. 1,073,034 of Ford.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,194,259 of Bauman described a handle, which is a separate piece from the handle sleeve, which is further separate from a collection of triangular prongs, which prongs are separate from the brace. This makes it a complicated attachment means with many parts, which are further attached solely to the top of the broom bristle block, thereby not addressing the folding and rotating outward of the bristle portions of the bristle block.
The earlier prior art patents do not address the problem of the rotation of the bristles upon contact with a ground portion, causing the broom to "trip" over itself, so that the bristle block, instead of proceeding laterally parallel to the ground being sweep, tends to rotate up and away from the user, in an uncomfortable manner.